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Lionel Messi took to social media to call for an end to the "crazy repression" of Argentina fans in Brazil after violent scenes at the Maracana.

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Brazil-Argentina delayed over fan clashesAlbiceleste ended up winning 1-0But Messi called out repression of supporters@GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The World Cup qualifier at Rio de Janeiro's famous stadium was delayed by over 30 minutes on Tuesday night after police intervened to reported booing of the Brazilian national anthem by Albiceleste supporters. This set the tone for a feisty encounter from which Argentina emerged victorious, thanks to a Nicolas Otamendi strike, but Messi was sure to draw attention to fans suffering after the full time whistle.

AdvertisementWHAT MESSI SAID

The 2023 Ballon d'Or winner wrote on Instagram: "This team continues to make history… Great victory in the Maracana although it will be marked by the repression of the Argentinians once again in Brazil. This can't be tolerated, it's crazy and it needs to end now!!"

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The rivalry between Brazil and Argentina is one of the fiercest in world football. It isn't even the first time this month that opposing fans from the respective countries have come to blows. The Copa Libertadores final between Fluminense and Boca Juniors earlier this month saw crazy scenes of violence on Rio's Copacabana beach, sparking a similarly brutal response from Brazilian authorities.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

Uncertainty continues to surround his future at international level. The Inter Miami star will turn 39 at the 2026 World Cup, an appearance which some feel depends on his team's success at the upcoming Copa America. Messi could even find himself without a mentor for both tournaments, after manager Lionel Scaloni's shock resignation hint on Tuesday night.

Brad Hodge hit six fours and as many sixes in his unbeaten 45-ball 85 as Peshawar recovered from 69 for 4 in 11.5 overs to overhaul Karachi’s 152 for 7 with nine balls to spare

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:03

‘We were winning until Hodge got hold of us’ – Bopara

Brad Hodge turned a chase that was headed nowhere into realms of possibility, and within the bat of an eyelid, blasted the ball to all corners of the Dubai Cricket Stadium. Peshawar Zalmi blew away Karachi Kings in a manic 10-minute passage to win by five wickets and move to the top of the PSL standings.Hodge hit six fours and as many sixes in his unbeaten 45-ball 85 as Peshawar recovered from 69 for 4 in 11.5 overs to overhaul Karachi’s 152 for 7 with nine balls to spare. The turning point in the chase was the 16th over, bowled by legspinner Usama Mir, where Hodge smashed a four and three successive sixes to reduce the equation to 32 off the last four overs.The next over was hit for 14, and the wheels came off Karachi’s bowling unit, with Darren Sammy sealing the game with a muscular hit into the stands at deep midwicket.That Peshawar were set 153 was largely due to the efforts of Lendl Simmons, who top scored with 49 and held the innings together for a while, before it fell apart as one batsman after another was dismissed in a quest to up the ante. The second-highest scorer of the innings was Ravi Bopara, who made a 22-ball 23 to shore up the total after a middle-order meltdown.Peshawar started badly as the new ball pair of Mohammad Amir and Bilawal Bhatti removed the openers with the score at just 25 inside five overs. Jim Allenby, the Australian batsman, revived the innings with a 29-ball 31, but his dismissal followed by Shahid Afridi’s in consecutive overs meant the chase hit a roadblock at 69 for 4.But Peshwar were not to be denied as Hodge cashed in on the first sign of complacency from Karachi by mixing a bit of brute strength and fineness in his effort to turn the game in no time. Such was the quality of his knock that even the dismissal of Kamran Akmal, with Peshawar still needing 32, largely went unnoticed.Having lost the game from a position of strength, Karachi will have to hope for a Lahore Qalandars win in the second match of the night to progress.

Revenge for the pain of previous defeats is the motivating force for Ben Stokes in the Investec Ashes and helped focus his mind in the face of Australian provocation during the first Test in Cardiff

George Dobell14-Jul-2015Revenge for the pain of previous defeats is the motivating force for Ben Stokes in the Investec Ashes and helped focus his mind in the face of Australian provocation during the first Test in Cardiff.He was a member of the side thrashed 5-0 in Australia in 2013-14 and admitted that the memories of that experience were fresh in his mind as England closed in on victory during the opening Test.But Stokes knows that, if he is to enjoy consistent success in the series, he will have to retain his composure despite Australia’s aims to get under his skin. He joked before the series started that it sounded like “all I want to do is fight them” when pressed on his combative attitude, so while he dismissed an attempt to unsettle him while batting as “silly” he understands it is part of a tactic to disrupt his concentration.In the incident, David Warner and Nathan Lyon stood in the crease at the non-strikers’ end staging a mock conversation in an attempt to prevent Stokes from completing an idiosyncratic ritual – sweeping his bat on the ground – that he does at the end of each over.”Brad Haddin picked up on me sweeping my bat when we were in Australia. He said ‘you’re still doing that then?’ and I said ‘yeah.’ It’s something I’ve done over the last two or three years. Every batsman probably has something they like to do and that’s mine.”Then Lyon and Warner thought it would be funny to stand in my way. That was pretty silly I thought really. Joe Root said that if they’re trying to do that, they must be thinking we’re on top. So if they’re going to do that for the rest of the series then fair enough.”I guess they were trying to put me off, but it just did not work. I just said you can stand there all day because I’m not moving until you move. If you want to get your captain’s over rate down then so be it.”But more than Australia’s attempts to unsettle him, it was the feeling Stokes had as England closed in on victory that most resonated.Even though he emerged from the whitewash 18 months ago as a rare beacon of hope for England, when speaking before this current series began he said he still did not have many fond memories of it because of the result so was desperate to put the record straight.”Revenge is a massive motivation,” he said. “When Joe Root caught the catch at the end it was like revenge. When they were eight wickets down I was thinking about how we felt when we were getting beat every game. To be on the verge of winning when they were eight wickets down and after what they did to us in Australia was pretty cool.”Stokes pinpointed the first ODI of the series against New Zealand as the moment the belief flooded into the England squad. While he admitted they had talked about playing with positivity for a couple of years, it was only the ability to actually score 400 in an ODI that cemented the self-confidence within the side.”Over the last two years, we’ve always been saying that we will play aggressively, but Cardiff was probably the only time we’ve actually delivered on what we’ve said. It always helps when results go your way. But we know we’re going to win more than we lose if we keep playing in this manner.”Edgbaston started it all off. That game went really well – we got 400 and bowled them out for 100-and-whatever-it-was. So when you can win so convincingly, that can only do us a world of good.”We’ve just rolled on from that. The momentum we had built up throughout the summer was carried over to Cardiff. We were full of confidence going into that because we knew how successful we had been.Stokes made an early mark in his Test career with that outstanding hundred against Australia in Perth, but after missing the series against Sri Lanka last year, partly due to the broken hand he sustained in West Indies from punching a locker, he found himself back in the side against India batting at No. 8 and seemingly more designated as a main seamer.He bagged three consecutive ducks in two Tests against India before being dropped and is now grateful for a more stable position in the Test side where he feels he is learning his role.On his return against West Indies in April he made 79 at No. 6 in Antigua but was then shunted down a place again when Moeen Ali returned for the remaining two matches of that series.However, the England hierarchy have now settled on his position and he responded with scores of 52 and 42 in Cardiff to follow his thrilling century against New Zealand at Lord’s in May.”Personally I think I’m benefitting from having a more consistent role in the team,” he said. “When I first started, I was in a bit of limbo about where I was. I played in a few different positions that I wasn’t quite familiar with.”But now I have been given the chance at the beginning of the summer to bat six and be that fourth seamer, which is something I wanted to be for England. Now I’ve been given that chance.”The positive style probably brings the best out of all of us. We’re always trying to take the positive route and always trying to be on top.””We’re not going to be able to play how we want 100 percent of the time. But that doesn’t mean we’ll go back to square one and start just trying to survive.”

ESPNcricinfo previews Middlesex’s prospects in 2014

George Dobell28-Mar-2014Middlesex
Last year 5th, CC Div 1; 4th, South Group, FLt20; 3rd in Group C, YB40.2013 in a nutshell
A decent season, but one that promised rather more than it ultimately delivered. Having started well in the Championship – Middlesex won their first two games and were unbeaten after seven – they fell away sharply, losing five of their last nine, including defeat against Derbyshire.The problem was partially injuries to key bowlers and an over-reliance upon Chris Rogers, who was absent with Australia for a large part of the season, and Sam Robson, who started brightly but faded. The opening pair contributed six of the eight Championship centuries recorded by Middlesex players and not a single England-born player registered a century for them in the 2013 season. Dawid Malan – with a Championship average of 21.50 – and Joe Denly – 26.08 – struggled to deliver on their potential and left the batting appearing brittle.Before the season, there were high hopes for the impact of James Harris, signed amid great competition from Glamorgan, and Toby Roland-Jones, who was tipped as a potential England seamer. But as it transpired, both men struggled for fitness and rarely performed at their best, leaving Middlesex as reliant on Tim Murtagh as ever. Ollie Rayner, the spin-bowling all-rounder, enjoyed a strong end to the season – including a 15-wicket match at The Oval.After failing to win any of their first three Yorkshire Bank 40 games – two defeats and an abandonment – seven wins in nine showed they could be a force in 2014. They were in the hunt for a Friends Life t20 quarter-final with two games to play, too, but lost them both.Middlesex will be hopeful of a return to form for Steven Finn•Getty Images2014 prospects
England call-ups could have a huge impact at Middlesex. They should start the season with Eoin Morgan, having chosen the Championship over the IPL, Steven Finn and Sam Robson available and vying for England selection. But they are certain to lose Morgan for limited-overs duty at least and could well lose Robson to the Test team for much of the season.At full strength – and they almost never were in 2013 – Middlesex have the sort of seam attack – Finn, Murtagh, Harris and Roland-Jones – that could win a Championship. With the underrated Gareth Berg and Neil Dexter in support, it is an attack that should also prove effective in limited-overs cricket, with Dan Christian expected to be added as a T20 overseas player. But Middlesex’s batting order will have to contribute far more consistently if the team are to make the title challenge of which they are capable.Key player
It is Rayner’s all-round skill that balances the Middlesex team. But while he is a good slip catcher and decent batsman, it is his off-spin that will be required if Middlesex are to challenge for the Championship title. He finished last season well, albeit on helpful surfaces, and impressed enough to win a call-up to the England Lions squad. Even on unhelpful surfaces – and he came across a few – he managed to retain control with the best economy-rate of any of the frontline bowlers that have remained with the club. If he can continue his improvement in 2014, Middlesex will have an impressive attack that is perhaps only bettered by Warwickshire.Bright young thing
Robson has a fantastic chance to establish himself as an England Test opener over the coming months. Bearing an uncanny resemblance to Mike Atherton at the crease, 24-year-old Robson is old-fashioned in many ways: he leaves the ball well, converts his good starts and appears to have the concentration and appetite for batting that bodes well for an opener. Some opposition have suggested he lacks the power or range of stroke to damage opposition but, in a format where accumulation and crease occupation is key, Robson has every motivation to start the season well for Middlesex. But it might be noted that for all Middlesex’s improvement in recent years, very few senior members of their side can be considered locally developed.Captain/coach
Depending on availability, Rogers will captain the four-day side, with Morgan captaining the limited-overs sides. Neil Dexter will deputise as required. Angus Fraser remains as director of cricket, combining the role with his new position as one of the England selectors.ESPNcricinfo verdict
Contenders in all formats. But the suspicion that too many highly-talented players – the likes of Finn and Malan – are out of form or unfulfilled lingers and plants doubts about their ability to sustain a challenge. Anything less than a top-four finish in the Championship should be considered a disappointment and they should be pushing for the knock-out stages in the limited-overs competitions.

Abundant batting line-up or not, England Lions have not advanced their World Cup claims by the manner in which they have twice been dismantled by an experienced New Zealand A in the Royal London tri-series

David Hopps at New Road12-Aug-2014
ScorecardMatt Henry made early breakthroughs for New Zealand A•Getty ImagesAbundant batting line-up or not, England Lions have not advanced their individual World Cup claims by the manner in which they have twice been dismantled by an experienced New Zealand A in the Royal London tri-series. In Bristol last Friday and Worcester today, four wickets have been lost without 50 on the board, inroads which brought New Zealand wins on both occasions and ensured a satisfying victory in the tournament.If the Lions batsmen remain worthy of debate, this particular bowling attack is unlikely to detain the selectors when World Cup squads are finalised. Hamish Rutherford found them much to his taste, the only surprise being that he did not complete an untroubled century, falling five runs short when he was bowled on the charge, off-side drive in mind, by the left-arm spinner Stephen Parry, the best England bowler on show.England Lions did well to escape to 255 for 8, but after a heavy shower, which trimmed the chase to 220 in 36 overs, New Zealand achieved their target with alacrity. Tom Latham, who struck a run-a-ball 48, finished matters by striking Tom Smith over the square leg rope with 21 balls to spare. With a home World Cup to inspire them, New Zealand can expect to field a competitive squad.New Zealand victories are rarely marked by extravagant praise, but a downbeat presentation ceremony was low-key even for them. The Lions’ defeat was suitably marked by the downcast tones of Ernie on the New Road public address. Ernie brings his own style to the most exciting of days, permanently sounding as if he is reading out details of his own funeral, an era which demands extravagant excitement having somehow passed him by.New Zealand fielded a side boasting nine players with international experience – only Scott Kuggeleijn and Daryl Mitchell remain uncapped – and once again they played with efficiency worthy of their status, taking clinical advantage of a good toss as they made maximum use of helpful bowling conditions in the first hour.Makes sense for me to coach – Flower

Andy Flower, back in the old routine as coach of the England Lions, expressed surprise that anybody should wonder that he is fulfilling such a hands-on role six months after resigning as England’s director of cricket after a demoralizing Ashes whitewash.

“I’m a cricket coach so coaching a cricket team makes sense,” he said. “It’s not my decision when I will do it again, but my role is to work with the younger set of players. They were really energetic, even though they were coming off the back of a busy county season, and they were an exciting bunch of cricketers to work with so I really did enjoy it.”

Flower, who was retained in a senior developmental role by the ECB after it was mutually agreed he should stand down, conceded that New Zealand were the stand-out team of the tournament, succeeding on the back of a strong pace attack, twice cutting through the top order of an England side that struck four hundreds in the tournament.

“The Kiwis really outplayed us today. They played some excellent cricket and exploited the conditions well. I thought it was a good toss to win. Always at Worcester there is movement in the first hour especially when you have a 10.30 start and two new white balls and their three quicks were excellent.

“But there is real talent in English cricket and this sort of learning experience is excellent for them. There are a few spots open for debate I guess and it’s the selectors’ job to make that decision.”

This New Road pitch has been used three times in a week and produced more than 1,500 runs in the process. It impressed the Lions so much during their victory against Sri Lanka A that they encouraged the groundstaff to use it again. There was no reason to change that assessment as wickets fell. James Vince’s unproductive series ended when he mistimed a pull to midwicket and then Matt Henry intervened in a manner that suggested it will not be long before he adds to his solitary ODI cap, won against India in Wellington earlier this year and where he bowled with eye-catching pace.Henry trimmed Ravi Bopara’s stumps, had James Taylor lbw and caused Jason Roy to edge to slip as he advanced down the pitch; Roy’s England debut, if and when it comes, will surely be in T20. An impressive new-ball spell would have brought a fourth wicket, too, if Alex Hales, on 8, had been held at second slip by Dean Brownlie.Just as he did in Bristol, it was Jonny Bairstow who reassembled England’s fractured innings. Poor Ashes tour or not, he was unfairly rubbished in some quarters, and when he completed a third successive half-century by assertively sweeping Ish Sodhi’s quicker ball, he had again played in a measured fashion that for a time seemed to have deserted him. His departure on 71 was unfortunate, a bottom-edged pull at a ball from Doug Bracwell that kept a little low and a catch down the leg side.Smith must have thought his Lions days were behind him when he was dispensed with after a 2006-07 tour of Bangladesh, but nearly eight years later he has proved himself a mature cricketer. He provided restrained support for Bairstow before indulging in some late hitting with Toby Roland-Jones to give England’s total a veneer of respectability. Henry’s last over went for 18, the final boundary jumping up as it struck the rope and jolting awake a dozing spectator by striking him meaningfully on his sun hat.

Sri Lanka have the most experienced team at the World Cup and are driven by the desire to make up for defeats in the last two finals, but their batting is top-heavy and their bowling perhaps over-reliant on Lasith Malinga’s uncertain fitness

Andrew Fidel Fernando08-Feb-2015Sri Lanka sometimes go into global tournaments underdone. Other times they have carried misfiring personnel. Occasionally key players have been injured, or, like on this occasion, poor form has pockmarked their approach to the big events. They rarely seem to have the firepower of the ‘favourites’. They are so beset by poor governance they played the last World T20 in the middle of a contracts dispute. But they won.Sri Lanka are like the kung fu movie protagonist that takes a hundred knocks to the head, but somehow makes it to the end of the film. Or the old Nokia phone that is jammed in doors and dropped in puddles, but continues to live on.Fact box

Previous World Cups
1975: Group stage
1979: Group stage
1983: Group stage
1987: Group stage
1992: Group stage
1996: Winners
1999: Group stage
2003: Semi-finalists
2007: Finalists
2011: Finalists
Squad
Angelo Mathews (capt.), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dimuth Karunaratne, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Dinesh Chandimal, Jeevan Mendis, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Sachithra Senanayake, Dhammika Prasad
Fixtures
February 14 – v New Zealand, Christchurch
February 22 – v Afghanistan, Dunedin
February 26 – v Bangladesh, Melbourne
March 1 – v England, Wellington
March 8 – v Australia, Sydney
March 11 – v Scotland, Hobart

Angelo Mathews has three former captains in his side. He has already been at the helm for two standoffs with the board. But in the six major campaigns he has played in, Sri Lanka have failed to reach the semi-finals only once.It is not that Sri Lanka have consistently been the best side in these tournaments – often their early outings have been scratchy. But somewhere in each campaign metal strikes flint and a fire spreads. In the 2007 World Cup, Lasith Malinga had his four in four. In the 2009 World T20, the team rallied around Tillakaratne Dilshan’s electric starts. In the 2014 World T20, Rangana Herath turned a match Sri Lanka had no business winning, with his 5 for 3.If the four previous finals had not already put the cricket world on notice, actually winning the last big tournament has. They lost 2-4 to New Zealand in January, but if Malinga is fit and firing, Sri Lanka will be hopeful that big-tournament magic will catch them again.The batting is still top-heavy, but it is some top. Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara have been mighty consistent in ODIs over the past two years, and in Mahela Jayawardene Sri Lanka have one of the best big-match players in the game. They are smuggling inexperience in that lower middle order, but Mathews has become adept at rescuing the innings, though he has been short of support in recent weeks.Sri Lanka’s fans have watched too many finals to be wowed by just another good dash to the knockout stages. They expect the team to return with the trophy. The cricketers themselves will be desperate to bag the big prize too, not least because this will be several senior players’ last chance to do so.World Cup PedigreeESPNcricinfo LtdThey have not won since 1996, but aside from the awful 1999 campaign, Sri Lanka teams have largely emerged from World Cups with credit, reaching the semi-finals in 2003 and the final in both World Cups since. The near-miss in 2011 was for many in the team the greatest disappointment in their limited-overs careers, and only a World Cup win could bring full catharsis.X-FactorSri Lanka have recently found limited overs success by stacking the XI with allrounders – particularly of the fast-bowling variety – and they built a team purposefully, to ensure Mathews will not be short of bowling options even when Sri Lanka play an XI that bats deep. Mathews himself as well as Thisara Perara and Nuwan Kulasekara have had success with both disciplines in Australia, and there is Dilshan’s canny offspin to break a big partnership or apply a squeeze. The challenge for Mathews is managing these resources intelligently, and ensuring he plays enough frontline bowlers in his XI.Players in focusAngelo MathewsMathews will almost certainly have more shots at World Cup glory, but yet the stakes are high for him at this event. The team is bracing for several high-profile retirements, and it is Mathews who has the task of putting together a new team in the wake of their exits. It is a daunting prospect, but one that will become immeasurably easier if Mathews already has a World Cup to his name, with all the confidence and public goodwill that comes with the trophy.Mahela JayawardeneThe only man with tons in a World Cup final and a semi-final, few players deserve a grand finish to their international careers as much as Jayawardene. A dip in his ODI form early in 2014 helped hasten his Test retirement, and he will hope that being active in only one format will spur a return to his best. Jayawardene has not prospered on bouncier surfaces in Tests, but he has played important ODI innings in Australia and has only grown more innovative in his later years.Lasith MalingaMalinga is not so much the leader of Sri Lanka’s limited-overs attack as he is its cornerstone. The team’s bowling plans revolve so tightly around Malinga that it is the quality of his performance that often defines games. He was delivering thunderbolts in 2014’s Asia Cup and the World T20, but had since then put on a few pounds and lost a little pace – perhaps due to the ankle injury that later required surgery. He will not have had much time at the bowling crease before the tournament begins, thanks to the lengthy recovery time. Given this may be his final shot at a World Cup as well, Malinga should need little incentive to be fit and fast at the curtain-raiser on February 14.Game StyleSri Lanka have developed a reputation as a street-smart unit with a taste for aggression, and that is the approach that has historically brought them most success. With two new balls in play, starts may not be as brisk as usual, but their batting is capable of responding to most situations, thanks to the adaptability that the likes of Sangakkara, Dilshan, Jayawardene and Mathews provide.PredictionAnything less than a semi-final place would be a disaster, and even that will not please Sri Lanka fans, who have come to expect much from their team. Adjusting to the conditions, and finding that collective intensity that has fueled past campaigns will be key to their performance.World Cup stats Sri Lanka inflicted the lowest-ever World Cup total of 36 on Canada in 2003 Of the five top wicket-takers in World Cups, two are Sri Lankans. Muttiah Muralitharan is at second place with 68 wickets, and current bowling coach Chaminda Vaas is at fourth, with 49 Sri Lanka have the most experienced squad in the World Cup by a distance. Sri Lanka’s 15 have 2017 ODI caps between them. The next-highest is Pakistan with 1314.If they were an actorAmy Adams: Fly in under the radar to get close to the big prize, but don’t often take the trophy homeTheme songSo close, yet so far – Elvis Presley

At 19 for 3, Pakistan seemed to be heading towards an inevitable defeat, but Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq both scored fifties to keep Sri Lanka at bay on the third day

Umar Farooq in Dubai10-Jan-2014At 19 for 3, Pakistan seemed to be heading towards an inevitable defeat, but Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq both scored fifties to keep Sri Lanka at bay on the third day. The hosts still trailed by 91 runs at the end of play, but Younis insisted that the team’s fightback would continue. Younis was unbeaten on 62, while Misbah hit 52 not out, as the pair put up an unbroken stand of 113 for the fourth wicket.”I tried to fight back,” Younis said. “In the end, it was good that I had a partnership with Misbah. The seniors always perform whenever the team needs them to, so that’s good.”What would have hurt Pakistan is the fact that their bowlers had actually done well to dismiss Sri Lanka within 28 overs on day three, conceding only 70 runs in the process to keep the visitors’ lead at 223. The hosts, however, immediately collapsed and lost Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez and Khurram Manzoor in quick succession. Given Pakistan’s recent batting performances, it would have been safe to assume that the rest of their batting would also fold, but Younis and Misbah stayed firm to launch a counterattack.”What was needed was to keep it simple on the pitch and play according to the situation. It’s always good whenever Misbah plays with me as we just take singles and we try to cash in on easy deliveries. It was the same when I was with Yousuf, with whom I had a big partnership.”When asked why the youngsters like Shehzad and Manzoor were not taking on the responsibility, Younis said: “Ahmed is new to Test cricket so I think we must give him some time. Khurram is doing well as he has had some experience in Tests. I hope they learn from their mistakes. I think if they play for 14 years, they will also play like us. It’s as simple as that.””Khurram has played 10 Tests while it’s just the start for Ahmed. I think that with time they will learn, especially after playing so many T20s and ODIs. When you play an ODI, you field for 50 overs and then bat.”But in Test cricket, you sometimes have to field for more than 150 overs and then go open. The first four batting positions are very crucial in Tests, so you can say it has something to do with their fitness, as much as their experience. If you look at them after five years, maybe you will say they are batting better than us.”Despite the recovery, Pakistan are still facing an uphill task, with Asad Shafiq the only reputed batsman left to come. Still, Younis is optimistic that Pakistan can take a commanding lead.”The first target is that we get a lead of around 220. Something like 200-300 runs on the board will be good for us. One thing that happened in Abu Dhabi was that the ball was seaming, but they [Sri Lanka] took the match away from us,” he said. “So I thought if we played correctly and according to the situation, we could be in a similar position. If we cashed in on one or two sessions and stayed there together, you never know. Anything can happen on the last day.”

According to The Mirror, Arsenal have been dealt the bitter news that defender Hector Bellerin may miss the rest of the season. 

The 23-year-old picked up a knee injury in The Gunners’ 2-0 victory over Chelsea at The Emirates on Saturday, and his manager Unai Emery indicated that it is a very serious injury. He is yet to have a scan on the knee, but Arsenal are fearing the worst.

The victory on Saturday put The Gunners within three points of fourth place Chelsea, as their hunt for Champions League football next season continues. However, this injury could serious curtail those hopes.

The Spaniard has been integral to Emery’s team this season, registering five assists in 19 Premier League games, as his pace and ability to get forward make him a real asset to the brand of football that Emery is trying to deploy in north London. There is no comparable replacement to Bellerin at Arsenal, and as a consequence, their performances may be weakened slightly.

The Gunners already have injury concerns in their defence, with centre-back Rob Holding set to miss the rest of the season as well. To lose Bellerin suddenly leaves their defence looking very sparse indeed. This was the biggest area of concern for Arsenal at the beginning of the season, and this latest setback is perhaps the biggest loss of all to The Gunners. This suddenly throws the club’s top four hopes into doubt, and it looks very unlikely that they will do anything this transfer window to remedy their problems.

The Irish Police is searching for Sharyce Saili, a Zimbabwe cricketer, who went missing after the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 qualifiers, which concluded in Dublin last week

Ger Siggins06-Aug-2013The Irish Police is searching for a Zimbabwe cricketer, Sharyce Saili, who went missing after the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 qualifiers, which concluded in Dublin last week.Saili, who has played 26 matches for Zimbabwe since 2008, was last seen in the team’s hotel shortly after their Shield final against Thailand on July 31. Saili, a right-arm fast bowler, was booked to fly home last Friday morning, but was reported missing.The Garda Siochana – the Irish Police force – says it has found no trace of the cricketer.Zimbabwe finished sixth of the eight teams in the qualifiers after losing to Thailand. It was soon after that game that Saili was last seen in Croke Park Hotel, where all the teams and officials were staying.Saili, who is a salesperson in her hometown Harare, finished second on the wicket-takers list, taking seven wickets in five matches, including a career-best 3 for 15 against Japan.Saili has not updated her Facebook page since her disappearance. On the day she was last seen, she posted the following message: ‘A strong woman is one who is able to smile this morning like she wasn’t crying last night.’

Greg Chappell, Australia Under-19’s team manager, said that it was good his team were making mistakes early on, as they could rectify and learn from them ahead of the World Cup

Kanishkaa Balachandran in Abu Dhabi11-Feb-2014The last ten days, ever since they left home for Sri Lanka and then the UAE, have been difficult for the Australian Under-19 team. The three-time World Cup winners failed to win any of their four games since the start of February, losing 3-0 to Sri Lanka U-19s and conceding their opening warm-up game against Zimbabwe in Abu Dhabi.Despite the less than ideal build-up to the tournament, set to get underway in three days’ time, Australia’s team manager Greg Chappell said the early hiccups may not be the worst thing to happen to the team. He felt it would help identify weaknesses and hopefully correct them by the time the results matter.Australia had failed to last their full 50 overs after opting to bat, and were bundled out for 195 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium Nursery 1. Their bowlers made Zimbabwe sweat in pursuit of a modest target but ultimately lost the game by three wickets.”In Sri Lanka and in this game, we did not just quite finish things off. Something like 20 odd extras while bowling (proved costly), and we would have made probably 20 or 30 more runs while batting,” Chappell said. “But, the only way you learn is to make mistakes and hopefully get better. We have made a few mistakes. That’s a good sign and we need to learn from it.”Australia were let down by their batting in Sri Lanka, with scores of 167, 137 and 202, once again being unable to bat out the full innings in any of the matches. Their bowlers ran Sri Lanka close in the third game, but the hosts scraped home by two wickets in the final over. Chappell said the matches so far indicated that there was plenty of room for improvement in all three departments.”We learned a lot from it (the Sri Lanka series). They bowled spin pretty well in their conditions. But, again what we learned is that we have to do the basics right,” he said. “We need to build partnerships, catch everything and we need to bowl a little bit better than we have done so far. We have given too many runs, missed too many catches and that has hurt us.”Chappell said that the team’s biggest weakness was spin. Against Zimbabwe, they lost six wickets to the spinners, with the legspinner Deven Bell returning with the best figures of 3 for 38. “We have struggled a little bit with spin bowling, both batting and bowling it. It is not been our great strength, has never been and probably will never be.”But, we have got to back our strengths here and back the group as a whole. We have a pretty solid group with some good leadership and we rely on them getting through themselves from where the coaches won’t have much of a say.”Australia play their second practice game on Wednesday in Dubai against Pakistan. They are in Group B along with Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Namibia.